Over a century ago, Maine’s foremost architect designed a summer home to look out over Camden Harbor. It was a fine example of John Calvin Stevens’s signature style: combining stateliness and elegance on a comfortable, human scale and being sensitive to the landscape, in this case oriented to run along the shore and turn the inhabitants’ eyes toward the water. Some years later, the home became part of a family summer enclave, one of three homes sitting side by side, each owned by a sibling. By 2021 it was part of a multigenerational tradition of family gatherings by the water. It was also in great need of a fresh start. “The decision to renovate was simple,” says the current homeowner. “Growing up as a summer kid within a very close family in this house was special because of the carefree life it offered. Walking everywhere, having friends in the neighborhood, and being on the water all contributed to my love for it. But the house was old and mildewy and needed some major love.” Beyond the mildew, the home needed significant electrical and mechanical systems updates—and a floorplan better suited to the present century. Architectural designer Erik Durbas of Erik Durbas Designs, interior designer Linda Banks of Banks Design Associates and Simply Home, and builder Tom Potter of the Potter Building Company transformed what Banks calls “an epic summer cottage that was limping along into this century” into a comfortable, useful, family-friendly home with its historic architectural detail intact.

For Banks, it was a “dream job.” “I think it’s important to say how grateful we were that the homeowner entrusted us all with this very special project,” she says. “We were the custodians of this iconic John Calvin Stevens harborside home, and we all worked incredibly well together to honor the heritage of this timeless beauty. Each and every member of the team worked so closely together to respect the integrity of the property.” “Our goal was to recreate everything back to the way it was,” adds Potter. Most of the original woodwork was retained and restored; when new pieces were needed, his building team went the extra mile to connect the new with the old: “All the new trim we put in we milled ourselves; we got knives made for the cutter to keep it historically accurate.”

While the home’s design and style had aged beautifully, some parts of its plan had ceased to serve modern lifestyles. “We were taking something designed for times gone by into the future, and the way we live in our homes now,” says architectural designer Erik Durbas. The home consisted of two masses: a “big house” containing the formal living and dining spaces downstairs and family bedrooms upstairs, and a “back house” holding a small service kitchen with cramped bedrooms above it. It was built for a time and culture in which live-in staff were more common and homeowners didn’t cook their own meals. “For a modern family that wants to gather on holidays and weekends, we migrate toward our kitchens,” says Durbas. Creating a larger kitchen that would be homey and welcoming required expanding the connector between the masses, which also allowed for more bedroom space above and a better connection between the home’s interior and the outdoors via a new covered porch. In both volumes, en suite bathrooms were added to most of the bedrooms, another nod toward modern preferences.

There was, says Banks, some level of “push me, pull you” in finding the right balance between deference to history and modern comfort. For example, a plan for an elevator that would have eased aging in place was scrapped because it would have disrupted the elegant symmetry of the dining room. In other cases, careful planning enabled improvements to both function and style. A coat closet in the foyer became an open wet bar that takes advantage of the harbor view through an arched window; a small office off the dining room became a contemporary pantry where kids can grab drinks on their way through the house. “One of the really big game changers was the expansion of the butler’s pantry,” says Banks. “It connects the foyer and kitchen without having to walk through the formal spaces. It’s used to the max.”

Updating the home’s decor meant building on and repurposing the family’s collection of antique furniture as well as the home’s elaborate trim and millwork. Stevens had incorporated intricate classical-style adornment throughout the home, from fluted columns on the exterior to layered woodwork on the walls. “Each room has its own intimacy, which is a result of the beautiful architectural detailing,” says Banks. “The tiny curved windows, special layered mouldings, layered fireplace surrounds—much of it is hard to reproduce today.” Banks offset these rich details with leavening colors, fabrics, and shapes. “We worked hard to make the house light and airy, to embody a carefree summerhouse feeling,” she says. Instead of heavy draperies, for example, she started with plain ivory linen and added patterned trim that echoes other fabrics in the room, creating a sense of connection without looking fussy (and, she points out, at a far lower cost than using a patterned fabric for the whole yardage). She had some of the less precious furniture painted, replacing dark wood with cheerful nautical hues. Rugs and fixtures were chosen to add a breezy, comfortable style amid the more old-fashioned elements. Art collected by the family over the years was reframed, replacing heavy, ornate frames with a clean museum-style look. “It changed the whole mood from somber to full of life,” says Banks.

“Full of life” could be applied to not only the paintings but the home as a whole. With all its historic and architectural weight, the house is no museum, but a place for a family to gather and grow. Linda Banks recalls first visiting the house with project manager Dave LeBlanc in 2021, when the stately dining room was serving as an at-home school for family and neighbors. “The first blustery day we visited the property during lockdown, all masked up, Dave and I knew what a special assignment this would be. We could see the potential through the desks, books, art supplies, and alphabet garland adorning the dining room fireplace.” Two years later, the home was ready to welcome the family back, freshly prepared to hold more generations of life. “Postrenovation, what I especially love is how the house maintains its beautiful charm and memories while being updated with modern amenities,” says the homeowner. “My hope for the future of the home is that my kids and grandkids will have those experiences and make the same memories I made, while valuing family and our love for each other.”